CONSUMER GUIDANCE SOCIETY OF INDIA (CGSI)

                     Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI)

The Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) was formed to fight consumer exploitation of all forms. The consumers have often been given substandard products & services, adulterated foods, short weights & measures, spurious drugs, exorbitant prices & many other outrageous crimes.

The CGSI has many achievements:

1.      It is the earliest consumers’ organization founded in 1966.

2.      CGSI was the first to demand a Consumer Protection Act.

3.      70% of the complaints have been redressed.

4.      CGSI established a formal Product Testing in India in 1977.

5.      “Keemat” was the first magazine published by CGSI imparting important information to consumer.

6.      CGSI promotes consumer education, undertakes training project in rural areas & represents consumer interests with government & other bodies.

7.      CGSI received the National Award for Consumer Protection in 1991.

8.      CGSI is the only Indian consumer organization to be council member of consumer International for 25 years.

9.      CGSI is a member of the Master State Consumer Protection Council.

10.  CGSI participates in large number of technical Committees & government decision making bodies.

In 1975 CGSI pressed for a Consumer Protection Act & Consumer Court. The CGSI deals with consumer complaints & gives guidance to those who wish to go to the consumer court. The CGSI also brings both parties together to resolve issues. It has covered many issues relating to medical malpractice & negligence, insurance non-payment, substandard drugs, defective household appliances, etc.

Due to the efforts of CGSI, ISI certification for pressure stove became mandatory. CGSI has managed to have consumer education introduced in schools at the 9^th standard & being covered progressively from 4^th standard. The subjects taught are Consumer Movement, Right & Responsibilities of Consumers Food Adulteration, Weights & Measures, the Environment, etc.

CGSI have standard a rural project in villages in Thana & Raigad districts in 1997. CGSI launched the Pedestrian wing in June 1999. The activities include regular & continuous interaction with Traffic Police, Transport Commissioner & RTO at all levels for redressal of grievances of pedestrians & improvement in facilities. The pedestrian wing works closely with likeminded NGO’s & other is in contact with the Pedestrian Association of UK.

CGSI was the first consumer organization to demand special consumer guidance for redressal of consumer complaints. The delegation of five consumer organization from different parts of India pressed for a comprehensive Consumer Protection Act, Special consumer court & directorate of the Act.

CGSI handles consumer complaints & offers legal advice. If there are a number of complaints against a particular party both are brought together to resolve the issue.

The CGSI complaints committee meets twice a week 70% success in forward complaints were medical surgical malpractice & negligence, insurance, non-payment, sub-standard drugs, medicines, home remedies, defective household appliances, poor quality, food & drink, misleading advertising claims, etc.

CGSI education committee has been working to introduce consumer education in school. The Maharashtra Education board has now introduced consume education at the 9^th standard. They are taught consumer movement, food adulteration, weights & measure, environment, etc.

CGSI have also started rural projects. CGSI is the first NGO to start a forum for the pedestrian.

How to complain:

·         Be sure the complaint is sound.

·         Present it politely.

·         Preserve cash memos & warranty card.

·         First approach the retailer. He may have a valid explanation.

·         If he is unresponsive write to the manufacturer quoting No & date of warranty card.

·         Retain all originals keep copies of your letter.

·         In case of suspected food & drug adulteration write to the State health authorities retain samples where possible.

·         If CGSI products perform pearly write to the respective agencies.

·         If there is no response write to the consumer guidance society of India.

AGMARK

AGMARK

The sale of produce in a primary market takes place on the basis of the visual inspection of the goods, and in the secondary and terminal markets on the inspection of the samples. The buyer and the seller decide upon the terms either orally or through written contracts. The contract terms specify the quality and quantity of the produce, the time and place of delivery, the price and terms of payment, handling and incidental charges, the procedure for settlement of disputes and penalties. The terms of contract were not standardized and thus varied for every individual transaction, and were more favorable to the buyer.

With a view to improving trade practices, All India standard contract terms have been drawn up for a number of commodities. In standard contract terms the definition of quality and allowances in respect of refraction, damaged goods have been specifically standardized. These standard contract terms by traders is voluntary they have to large extent strengthened the position of the producer-seller and have improved the quality of the product marketed.

Standardization and Grading

In order to gain the confidence and establish a rational relationship between the quality of a produce and its price, it is necessary to devote some attention to the proper preparation, sitting and sorting of a material. This is achieved by grading the produce in conformity with certain accepted quality standards via shape, size, form, weight and other physical and technical characteristics. The produce brought to the market is very often contaminated with dust, stones and other foreign matter added either deliberately or by accident. Such a produce brings a lower price to the farmers. Care should be exercised while assembling the produce of different farms so that the good material is not mixed the inferior material brought in by some farmers.

The Government of India had recognized the need to introduce the standardization of agricultural produce. The act empowers the central government to prescribe grade standards indicating the quality of articles included in the schedule and specify grade designation marks to represent particular grades or qualities. The act provides for the grading and marketing of agricultural produce. The grade standards prescribed under this act are based on both physical and chemical characteristics and are formulated after analyzing representative samples of each commodity collected from different regions and different seasons. Besides the international standards and special requirements of overseas consumers are also taken into account while formulating these standards for the commodities which are exported. The grade standards are reviewed and amended from time to time in the light of the shift of the pattern of production and trade and changes in the consumers’ preferences. The grades are designated as the “AGMARK” grades.

 

Grading at Farmer’s Level

The grading of agricultural commodities under “AGMARK” has been consumer oriented. Generally the grading was done at the level of the traders. At this stage the producer was not a direct beneficiary of the grading scheme. It was felt the need to introduce grading at the produces level. Thus the directorate of marketing and inspection introduced a scheme for setting up commercial grading units.

Grading a fruits and vegetable products

With a view to exercising quality control over fruits and vegetables the government promulgated the fruits product order under the essential commodities Act. The preservatives and colors to be used are also clearly laid down.

ADVERTISING AND ETHICAL ISSUES

Ethical Issues

Advertising is a dynamic social form where business interests, creativity, consumer needs and government regulations meet. The high visibility of advertising makes it particularly vulnerable to criticism. E.g.: Benetton is both a vehicle to sell clothing as well as a platform to express opinions on social issues. As a consequence of these mixed perspectives, it has had to pay a heavy price – number of stores dropped as well as lost out in 1991.

Another aspect is that people feel that advertising plays the role of the “Hidden Persuader” and that consumers are its victims as they are manipulated to buy products they neither need nor can afford.

Also findings indicate that while ad executives are fed up with bad ads produced by their trade, consumers do not care much one way or the other because of the overdrive of advertising products.

However, it is worthwhile to be aware of the social issues facing advertising, as social responsibility requires a balance between public welfare and freedom of speech.

Ethical Criteria

In spite of regulation, every issue is not covered by a clear, written rule. Many issues are left to the discretion of the advertiser and these decisions may be based on a variety of considerations – objective of ad campaign, attitudes of target audience and the legal precedent. Many decisions are also based on ethical concerns.

Issues central to an ethical discussion on advertising are:

·         Advocacy

·         Accuracy

·         Acquisitiveness

Advocacy

By its very nature, advertising tries to persuade the audience that they need new products and to buy it, since it persuades it is not objective or neutral. This fact disturbs critics who think ads should be objective, informative and neutral. They want ads to provide info and then stop there.

Accuracy

Beyond the easily ascertainable claims in an ad message are matters of perception. Will buying the automobile make an envy of my neighbor? Will wearing a perfume make me more attractive? Such messages may be implied by the situations pictured in the ads. In spite of being aware that these messages will not essentially change our lifestyle, ad critics raise concern when these messages are directed to particular groups with limited experience such as children and teenagers.

Acquisitiveness

Some critics believe that advertising is a symbol of our society’s preoccupation with accumulation of material goods. We are constantly exposed to gods that are bigger, better, changing, newer, etc. and into thinking that we must have these products.

·         We do have free choice of what we buy

·         Advertising offers choice and incentives

·         Advertising informs consumers about goods and services they demand

·         Ultimately, consumers make the final decision

The Problem of being Ethical

Advertising can seek help in making decisions about questionable situations with the help of code of ethic that help provide general guidance. When advertising decisions are not covered by a code, rule or regulation, someone must make an ethical decision. This person must weigh the pros and cons and make value judgment about an unfamiliar situation. These decisions are complex because there exists no clear consensus about what is ethical behavior.

The complexity of ethical issues requires us to make conscious effort to deal with each situation. After all it is people who create the ethical atmosphere of an organization.

ü  Who should and should not be advertised to?

ü  What should and should not be advertised?

ü  What should and should not be the content of the advertising message?

ü  What should and should not be the symbolic tone of the advertising message?

ü  What should and should not be the relationship between advertising and the mass media?

ü  What should and should not be advertising conscious obligation to society?

Therefore:

·         There is no clear consensus on what defines ethical behavior.

·         There is potential conflict between personal ethics and what might be good for business.

·         Just because it is legal doesn’t mean that it’s right.

Related Factors in Ethical Decision Making

·         Nature of the company

·         Marketing objectives

·         Reputation of the company

·         Available resources

·         Competition

Puffery

It literally means ‘puffing’ up a product or exaggerating its qualities. Since this does not fall under the legal purview, it has become an ethical issue.

 

Rules of Advertising

1.       Advertising should be designed as to conform not only to the laws but not also to the moral and aesthetic sentiments of the country in which it is published.

2.       No advertisement likely to bring advertising into contempt or disrepute should be permitted. Advertising should not take advantage of the superstition or credulity of the general public.

3.       Advertising should tell the truth and avoid distorting facts and misleading by means of implication and omissions. For instance it should not mislead the consumer by false statements as to:

·         The character of the merchandise – i.e.: its utility, material, ingredients, origin.

·         The price of the merchandise or its value, its suitable or the terms of the purchase.

·         The service, accompanying purchase, including delivery exchange, return, repair, upkeep.

·         Personal recommendations of the article or service. Testimonials which are fictitious or the originals of which cannot be produced must not be used. Anyone using testimonials in advertisements is as responsible for the statements made in them as he would be if he had made them himself.

·         The equality of the value of competing goods or the trustworthiness of statements made by others.

4.       No advertisement should be permitted to contain any claim so exaggerated as to lead inevitably to disappoint in the mind of the consumer. Special care is called for in the case of:

·         Advertisement addressed to those suffering from illness.

·         No such advertisements should hold out the promise of cure for serious disease nor contain any statement calculated to injure the health of the sufferer by dissuading him or her from seeking a medical advice or otherwise.

·         Advertisements inviting the public to invest money should not contain statements which may mislead the public in respect of the security offered, rates of return or terms of amortization.

·         Advertisements inviting the public to take part in lotteries or competitions with prize or which hold out the prospect of gifts.

Such advertisements should state clearly all the conditions for the lottery or competition or the conditions for the distribution of the gifts.

Virtually every product is puffed up. Terms like “The Best” or “The Greatest” were sales talk. Everyone knows that “Wonder Bread” is not really a wonder, and “The Greatest show on Earth” is not what everyone considers the greatest. Puffery, therefore, was a form of opinion statement and not regulated. Some observers have expressed concern that the “Puffery defense” was a loophole through which many deceptive claims fell. The commission has been criticized for allowing deceptive claims to clip through under the guise of puffery.

Puffery can be defined as:

1.       Reasonable people do not believe to be true product qualities and

2.       Incapable of being proved either true or false

Consequently, if deception is the creation of a false belief about the product in the mind of a consumer, claims that fall into the definition of puffery cannot be deceptive. By definition such claims can be neither false nor can they create belief.

Puffery has generally viewed as a form of poetic license. Consumers are aware of the exaggeration and do not believe it. Some argue that puffery has a detrimental effect on consumers’ purchase decisions and that should be illegal.

Taste in Advertising

We all have our own ideas as to what constitutes good taste. Hence different things offend different people. What is in good taste to some is objectionable to another. E.g.: Calvin Klein jeans which showed a young man rubbing his crotch with a soaking wet pair. Though the 16-24 age groups found this ad exciting, the older consumers were dismayed.

One dimension of taste is the product itself. E.g.: underwear, laxatives, hygiene, AIDS, etc. have higher levels of distaste then do other ads. Also the fast that TV can bring this into out rooms and talk about it embarrasses many.

Another dimension is the matching of certain ads with the program of media. E.g.: ads targeted to adults on Cartoon Network, etc.

A third dimension is that taste changes over time. What is offensive today may not be considered so in the future. E.g.: a deodorant ad in 1919 that led to cancellation of subscription would be considered pretty tame by today’s standards.

Stereotyping

Advertising is often accused of creating and perpetuating stereotypes through its portrayal of women, ethnic minorities, elderly and other groups.

The portrayal of women in advertising is an issue that has received a great deal of attention through the years. Women are often depicted as preoccupied with household duties, motherhood, or they are shown as decorative objects are sexually provocative figures.

Advertising shows a consistent picture of gender stereotyping. Women are shown as passive, lack of intelligence and credibility. In contrast men have been portrayed as constructive, powerful, autonomous and achieving. Even stereotyping exists in ads target to children. Boys are usually shown as more knowledgeable, active and aggressive than girls. Non-verbal behavior involving dominance and control are associated more with boys than girls.

While sexism and stereotyping still exist, advertising’s portrayal of women is improving in many ways. Women are portrayed more realistically. Women have crossed the boundary from the domestic sphere to the professional arena. Many advertisers are now depicting women in a diversity of roles that reflect their changing place in society. In many ads, the stereotypic character traits attributed to women have shifted from weak and dependent to strong and autonomous.

Some advertisers have been criticized for portraying senior citizens as feeble, foolish, inept or in desperate need of help.

ADVERTISING AND WOMEN IN INDIA - ETHICAL ISSUES

Women in India

The role of women in our society has changed in the last few decades. The traditional role of women cannot be accepted now. Women are playing a diversified role on the socio-economic context in our society. Women are emerging as a powerful influence group.

Women are shown as objects of sexuality. The idea of the male gaze becomes the universal advertising strategy. Since men are the main purchasing power of India today the image of a sanctity lad woman will make them buy anything.

1.      Women are being portrayed as sex objects. Women were shown as the weaker sex always by her man’s side. Not only are women being used as sex objects they are being used in relation to negative products as alcohol & drugs.

2.      Ads show that women’s place is in the home, women are dependent on men, and women do not make independent and important decisions. The household image of women is truly exploitive showing woman as an unattractive housewife who slaves for her family without any ambition is enslaving.

The “Axe” ad shows a man in an elevator applying Axe body spray as he leaves the elevator. A less attractive man enters the elevator along with a beautiful woman. With the smell of the body spray still lingering it becomes a very powerful aphrodisiac and the woman becomes aroused. The next scene shows them coming out of the lift insinuating some kind of sexual experience. The ad implies that a body spray can make the sexual availability of women easy.

Then came the category of women at work but even these were in romantic settings. These ads conversed that working women receive more masculine attention and have a better time. Ads showed how to become more appealing to men to gain popularity and who to become more sexually active, all to sell a product. The idea of the male gaze becomes significant.

The upper middle or middle Hindu patriarchal morality is seen as normal. Any deviation from this is frowned upon. Some critics say that men say they are redefining women’s liberty and modernity but end up highlighting & reinforcing the prejudices of upper caste males.

The upper caste or class Hinduism is repeatedly represented as “The only good” and powerful way of living in order to be a decent and patriotic Indian citizen.

Woman in earlier ads was docile with an expression of down turned face fully dad in sari with big vermillion and flowers or a vamp in short indecent attire with a sensuous gaze, a pouting smile without vermillion and flowers.

The modern woman is now shown without vermillion affirming her sensuality, no longer wearing a sari. But her societal status has not changed in any drastic way as her roles are defined even now by men. Washing machine microwave ovens liberate Indian women by moulding them into perfect homemakers. (e.g.: you and Videocon – the perfect homemaker).

Portrayal of women in media has changed in some ways and not in others. The old stereotypes (housewife, girlfriend, sex object, decorative object) are still with is modified and diluted.

The emerging new stereotypes are due to changes in the social, economic, political, scenario, trends in liberalization / globalization and the rise of consumerism can be seen as the emerging new Indian women the beauty queens, models, VJ & women’s entrepreneurs.

Besides these there are a great number of serial which stress on women in roles of the perfect housewife dominated by her husband and a vamp. These shows portray old time values & morals trying to bring back the trend of the male dominated society.

 

ADVERTISING AND CHILDREN

Advertising and Children

The world of children has changed a great deal over the last decade. Kids are no longer passive consumers of brands that they once used to be, but are active seekers and influencers for a whole range of products affecting their lives. While this is definitely true for products like chocolates, biscuits, ice-creams for which kids are the direct consumers it is also true for a whole other range of high-end consumables like packaged food, computers and believe it or not… cars! Kids are active seekers and influencers for a whole range of products affecting their lives.

It’s a given that the new generation of youngsters is an avid consumer of mass media, especially television. They watch TV with high involvement and more often than not easily led by what is shown on TV. They are increasingly vocal and influential when it comes to ‘Brand Choice’ and ‘Brand Purchase’. And this influence spreads to categories which may not be directly used by kids or products aimed at adult consumption (refrigerators, mobile phones, air conditioners, etc.) E.g.: salt ads, ads on spices, etc.

Advertisers are making their pitches to more and more younger audiences… ‘Catch them young’ seems to be the motto of the day.

Television ads for foods, toys or kitchen products teach children consumerism. They learn what products are available, what products do, and perhaps how to compare them.

Children learn how an item fits the lifestyle from cartoons, soap operas and serials. Thus children develop unrealistic ideas of how people live.

The variety and number of products targeted directly at young people have developed incredibility, from toys and clothes to music, magazines, TV channels and entertainment such as sports and electronic interactive media. Many companies focusing on children have realized that there is a need for redefining the generally accepted definition of childhood.

“Children are getting older beyond their years”, not least due to the dramatic advances in technology, but there are other aspects that make this target group even more important – also for manufacturer of products traditionally targeted at adults.

It is quite evident that today’s generation of children is more computer literate and advertising literate than ever. Equally, they are more brand literate.

Young people have an increasing influence on what their families purchase. Children are the ‘now’ generation. They may lack the so called sophistication of adults; act impulsively and without much rationale. However, advertising research demonstrates that any message that observes the basics of communicating with children in their own ‘Language’ will be registered, even at the very first showing.

Children do make demands on their parents to buy them things whose advertising they have been exposed to. Actions shoes had introduced kids’ shoes that had a light fitment which went on and off as one walked. Not a very persuasive communication but it had children pestering their parents to buy them that particular pair.

Children respond more positively to messages communicated visually rather than voice message. This is especially true among younger audiences, even up to the age of 10 or 12. Visual action is closer to their own play experience where actions speak louder than words. Television is a major form of entertainment. It is reported that children see almost 20,000 ads a year.

Children today are more exposed to media, are extremely brand as well as image conscious. To children, advertising is TV, when questioned about advertising, they invariably respond in terms of TV.

Also with age, TV starts playing a more important role in the kid’s like and the consumption of TV viewing also increases correspondingly. For most of the kids however, television advertising is an integral part of the entertainment that television provides.

Effects of Advertising on children

The impact of television on young children has received much attention. Research suggests that children see television advertising as just another form of programming and react uncritically to its messages, which makes them especially vulnerable to advertising.

Children clearly have an important role to play in the families purchase decision, but their contribution varies by product category. It I also reasonable to then say that since brand characteristics are variable, the impact of advertisements on children must also vary by brand.

Advertising affects children tremendously. Their young impressionable minds are influenced by the advertisements they are exposed to. This effect can be both positive as well as negative.

All tooth paste ads like Colgate, Pepsodent, etc. inculcate a good habit of brushing the teeth in the morning and at night before sleeping. They create awareness among the children regarding the ill effects of germs, weak gums, etc.

The Raymond advertisement

This advertisement shows depressed school student wishing good bye to their principal. Out of their respect and love for their principal, they buy him a Raymond cut piece. It influences the kids to give teachers the respect they deserve and love them for the knowledge they bestow upon us.

 

Thumps UP

Some years back, there was an advertisement for Thumps Up, which had a man standing at a cliff and performing ‘bungee jumping’ just to grab a bottle of Thumps Up from the crates lying in a truck below. A kid after watching this advertisement attempted a similar feat and jumped from the fifth floor of a building in imitation only to fall to his death. Due to this tragic accident, Thumps Up had to withdraw this advertisement.

Kwality Walls

Kwality Walls came with a series of double meaning advertisements with lines like ‘what’s on your stick?’ and the ‘the big F’. It showed a group of girls ragging few guys, where in extremely rude and vulgar behavior was displayed by the protagonist, with an all the more vulgar line ‘The Big F’. Several parents started complaining because they couldn’t handle questions by their kids as to enquiring what did the letter F stands for!

Clinic Shampoo

The Clinic Shampoo advertisement featured a girl child who is embarrassed because of her extremely lifeless hair. Is that the age when a kid should be worried about her looks and hair? Such advertisements make children grow older beyond their years and thus induce wrong attitudes and beliefs in them.

LG Golden Eye

LG colour TV advertisements showed a kid not going back home from school and standing outside a TV showroom just to watch TV because at home his mother doesn’t allow him to do the same. The mother is shown extremely tensed and scared with water in her eyes. The advertisement peddled on the platform of ‘good health’ and ‘good for eyes’. This advertisement indirectly conveyed that how the kids could watch TV unlimited for long hours, without spoiling their eyesight. Hence this advertisement influenced the child in a negative way. Also this was a very unimaginable ground to advertise for Television Sets.

Fair and Lovely Fairness Cream

Harping on the point that fair skin is appreciated and dusky skin not, such advertisements have created an extremely disappointing influence on adolescent girls. Many adolescent girls are unduly influenced by this standard of beauty and thus become dissatisfied with their own natural body colour. They then go out of their way to rectify this and end up landing themselves in depression and lack of self confidence.

Lizol

A child takes one of the biscuits and considers it as if it is a car, and takes the car (biscuit) through all possible places in the house. The biscuit passes through the dirty nooks and corners of the house like on the doormat, the toilet sink, etc. After his drive, the kid peacefully goes back and places the biscuit with the other biscuits on the plate from which he had picked it up.

This advertisement displays unaccepted behavior of the part of the kid. The children, ever inquisitive, are intrigued by certain provocative advertisements. Since they partially understand by the connotation and want to find out more about advertisements of sanitary napkins and want to find out more about advertisements of sanitary napkins and want to know why the girls wear skimpy clothes and why their sisters and mothers don’t wear similar type of clothes. These posers from the kids cause great problems for the parents.

The exposure to the violent content of TV programmes affect children’s attitudes behavior. People flying, turning into monsters, eating weird things coming back from the grave are fantasies that children have difficulty in distinguishing from reality celebrities have a great impact on kids. Ads with free gifts make children force their mothers to buy the product even if it is no use to them.

The all out assault on children’s senses and values have escalated dramatically. Children are the largest and fastest growing market for consumption. Even car companies know that children influence their parents’ choice of automobiles, so they pitch their ads to be attractive to kids.

Kids are becoming incredibly consumerist and influence family spending decisions. Children now share one thing in common – a growing in satiable desire for material goods.

However, there are those who argue that advertising is a part of life and children must learn to deal with in the consumer socialization process of acquiring the skills needed to function in the market place. They say the existing restrictions are adequate for controlling children’s advertising. They argue that adolescents develop skeptical attitudes towards advertising through interactions with socialization agents such as parents and peers. Market place knowledge, they claim plays an important role in the children as this knowledge helps them to evaluate ads and make them recognize the persuasion techniques used by advertisers.

SOCIAL BENEFITS OF ADVERTISING

                                Social Benefits of Advertising

Advertising works wonders on the minds of the consumers that in the end influence a purchase of a product. Advertising has led to many social benefits that are as under:

Awareness

Advertising is one of the oldest ways of spreading awareness about new products. More than half the population, literate is very much aware of the new products in the market. All credits to advertising in different media from newspapers, radio to television. It is one method where messages to a large mass audience are done accurately & correctly without misguiding them through TV, Radio, newspaper, Internet, outdoor, etc. Advertising is possible in all kinds of language Hindi, Marathi, English or any other language. Advertising provides people with information that is very vital for purchase of goods & services available in the market; it allows them to decide what product will satisfy their needs & give them what they want. Advertising gives the people an idea of what exactly would suit their pockets & what would not. Basically, advertisements are made in a way that the consumer will have the curiosity to check & see the brand in the market himself. Advertisements lead to recognition & recall of brands that definitely helps advertisers. Advertising is significant because in consumer capitalism individuals depend on it for meanings a source of social information embedded in commodities that mediate interpersonal relations & personal identity.

Education

Advertisements are not based only on consumer durables but there are also advertisements that educate people like social service advertisement & public service advertisement. These are in the social interest of the people. E.g.: Anti-smoking campaigns, polio vaccinations, eye donations. All these advertisements educate children, teenagers & adults about the precautions that have to be taken to survive & be accepted in the society.

Earlier, due to lack of awareness, most of the AIDS patients were treated as untouchable but due to frequent awareness advertisements (like the one with Shabana Azmi, who is educating people about how sitting with AIDS patients is no harm) the attitude towards AIDS patients has changed & they are looked up with respect & considered normal along with dignity in society. The basic outlook of the people is changing due to advertisement be it in their choice of purchasing products or be it their attitude and thinking. Advertisements have and always will influence the minds of the people.

Culture

Advertising is an influential form of social communication. Advertising is not just a business expenditure undertaken in the hope of moving some merchandise off the store shelves but is rather an integral part of modern culture. Advertising should be conceived as an important institution in the consumer society because it produces patterned system of meaning which play a key role in individual socialization & social reproduction with globalization of the world economy. Multinational corporations often use the same advertising to sell to consumers around the world. Some critics argue that advertising messages are causing the world to become increasingly homogenous. Many advertising campaigns, however have universal appeal, overriding, cultural differences or they contributed to culture in a positive way.

Employment

Employment with the growth of advertising the need for man power is also increasingly. It’s not that only by advertising for jobs will a person be able to get a job but in the field of advertising itself there are so many departments & areas a person can explore that people from almost all fields have the opportunity to join and be a part of advertising.

Economy

It is believed that advertising has a positive impact on the economy because it stimulates demand for products & services strengthening the economy by promoting the sale of goods & services. Manufacturers know that advertising can help sell a new product quickly enabling them to recoup the cost of developing new products. By stimulating the development of new product, advertising helps increase competition. Many economists believe that increased competition leads to lower price there by benefiting consumer & the economy as a whole. These economists also argue that by interesting consumer in purchasing goods advertising enables manufacturers and others to sell their products in larger quantities. The increased volume of sales enables companies to produce individual units at lower price. Advertising thus benefits consumer by helping lower price. From all the points above what can be concluded is that the effects upon society brought about by advertising come in mixed forms, depending on the purpose & execution of various campaign. However, society, as we know, it is based very heavily upon advertising and the negative social and economic effects on our society. No one can predict what new form advertising may take in the future. Bu the rapidly increasing cost of acquiring new customer makes one thing certain. Advertisers will seek to hold on to current customers by forming closer relationship with them & by tailoring products, services & advertising messages to meet their individual needs. So while advertising will continue to encourage people to consume it will also help provide them with products & services more likely to satisfy their needs.

ADVERTISING ETHICS

 

Advertising & Ethics (Criticism)

Advertising has been attacked by critics who charge that it goes beyond selling products or ideas to exert a powerful influence on society. According to this view, advertising in its many forms is so pervasive and so persuasive that it has the ability to shape social trends and mold personal attitudes. This influence is unwanted, intrusive and often detrimental to society, say critics. Defenders respond that, in addition to the economic benefits to improved competition, lower prices and more product choices, advertising promotes freedom of speech, as goods and services. Furthermore, advertising is actually influenced by society because it acts as a mirror in reflecting certain societal changes. For example, advertising must continually adjust their language and illustrations to conform to changes in socially acceptable practices.

This ongoing debate over the proper role of advertising in society is entirely separate from the ethical issues of deceptive or fraudulent advertising and it boils down to one basic question: Does advertising help or hurt society?

Language and Literacy

Advertising sometimes twists words or changes spelling and grammar to make a point. Advertising copy is accused of playing fast and loose with the rules of language, which encourages the audience to do the same. Some critics go further, complaining that people have less need for readily available in the electronic media both by advertising and by sponsoring news and entertainment programs. Why do ads bend grammar and use slang? Sometimes it’s to avoid sounding stilted, sometimes it’s for emphasis and sometimes it’s to sound like the people you want to reach. “There’s no real intent to damage the language.” When advertisers want to reach teenagers they try to adopt teenage speech patterns, advertisers often use unorthodox spelling so a word can be used as a legal part of a brand name as a trademark.

Manipulation and Exploitation

Does advertising manipulate people into buying what they don’t need? Critics contend that advertising is so powerful and persuasive that people have no choice but to buy what they see advertised, regardless of their actual need for these products. Advertisers exploit our inadequacies, anxieties, hopes and fears. Advertisers, using psychological or emotional appeals, get us to buy their products by making us feel that these products help us gain status, acceptance, even love.

On the other side of the controversy, defenders acknowledge that the whole reason to advertise is to persuade. There’s no magic or dishonesty about using the marketing mix to identify customer needs, to create an appropriate product and to advertise the product. Defenders contend the advertising offers people the information they need to choose among products in the marketplace. Advertising can be seen as building consumption not by making people purchase what they don’t need but by making the market more efficient for both consumer and producers by offering information about the product, its availability.

No amount of advertising pressure can force people to buy something they don’t want and anyone who is persuaded by advertising to buy a bad product (or a product that doesn’t meet a legitimate need) won’t make that mistake again. Far from being helpless to resist advertising’s persuasive power people are able to ignore or discount advertising messages, by zapping television commercials, turning down the radio, or simply turning the page in a magazine or newspaper. Most consumer are savvy about what they see advertised and research indicates that children understand and are skeptical about advertising’s persuasive power.

Advertising Old People and Minority Groups

Critics say that ads often portray entire group of people in stereotypical ways showing elderly people only as senile for example. These advertising can reinforce negative or undesirable views of these groups. This can contribute to discrimination against them. By presenting minorities and women more realistically, advertisers can significantly expand their markets for a wide variety of products. The situation is slowly changing as minority group’s protest against stereotypes. However, showing more minority groups is only half the answer. The other half, perhaps more difficult, is to make their portrayal realistic.

Advertising is a waste of money

There is a feeling among some that advertising is blatant, uneconomic and antisocial. It makes people buy more than they need it, encourages consumption of liquor and cigarettes; it is the cause of violence, murder, etc.

The money that is spent on advertising is considered a waste. This amount, it is felt, can be used effectively in other ways. Models are paid lakhs and crores of rupees (Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, etc.) Ads on products that do not sell are also wanted. However, in all areas of work, failure and superfluous expenditure is there in almost all activities.

Whether advertising is a social waste is difficult to interpret. Allegations of social waste are based on statements as:

·         Ads make false statements which confuse & mislead

·         Ads force customers to want goods & services that are not needed

·         Ads promote products which are harmful

·         Ads are forced on consumers (TV ads)

With reference to the statement that ads mislead and make false statement it may be said most statements are true to a large extent. Yes, ads exaggerate but again consumers are not fools. Products are not brought only for its product attributes; it is bought for prestige (car), hope of a beautiful appearance, people want to look better, eat better, live better, drive better cars & improve their standard of living. Products may satisfy entirely or partially the wants of society. Persuasion is used not only in advertising but also in sermons for preachers, lecturer and even directives from government.

The second criticism is that ads make people buy what they cannot afford. Ads cannot move people in the direction which are contrary to social trends. Products are produced after market research to find out what people want, what is the demand. When people decide against the use of product no amount of advertising can make them buy the product. IF advertising can make consumers buy products there will be no product failure.

Advertising promote products harmful to citizens

There is a lot of legislation preventing the promotion and sale of harmful products. Cigarettes are harmful but smoke is more harmful. Liquor is dangerous and immoral according to critics. Attempts to abolish ads on these products only result in more use and illicit trade in such products. No product causes more death than automobiles. Is that immortal and should its production be banned?

Advertising is lacking in good taste

Some ads (Harpic ad) are irritating. If the public is offended, the advertisers find out through decreases in sales or news reports and that situation are rectified.

Advertiser’s job is to communicate. Some advertisers are aesthetic and more sensitive than others.

Ads are forced on TV viewers

The viewers are under no obligation to see the commercials. TV programmes cost money. If ads are not shown the programmes have to be made at government expense and the tax payer will have to pay additional taxes.

Does advertising result in a better standard of living? Advertising has indeed made considerable contribution to a better standard of living with many other factors like our productive economic system. It has resulted in a dynamic expanding economy. Today’s economy is geared to a high level of consumption and production level. If employments are to be maintained and the economy has to grow, consumers will have to maintain the standard of living.

Advertising places an undue stress on material things

With the role of advertising to maintain a high standard of living, it is obvious that advertising does stress to a considerable extent the consumption of material goods. Does this mean that less stress is placed on people’s cultural and spiritual needs? Is there a decline in cultural and spiritual fields because of advertising? Has interest in literature, music, painting, sculpture theatre, creative pursuits, efforts on the poor and the less fortunate in our society less because of advertising? In fact a decent standard of living is a prerequisite to a general interest in cultural activities. Both material goods and cultural activities are compatible.

If the cultural & spiritual life is not as high as critics feel it should be, is advertising to be alarmed?

Advertising forces people to buy goods they do not need

It is true that many products can be grouped as not necessary at present. However many products that are luxuries become necessities for a reasonable standard of living. Who is to decide that a particular item is not, the critics or the government? The freedom of choice cannot be taken away from people.

Critics are the loudest in wanting freedom of speech. Advertising, as long as it does not violate standards of good taste, ethics, etc. is one form of freedom of speech.